A Collection of Blogs Written By Men & Women In Prison

Learning by Matthew Epperson

I’ve taken on piano. I knew how to play before now. If you wrote out a chord progression, I could play it. Reading music on the other hand… Not so much.

I’m a skilled musician. I know what I’m talking about musically and I’ve been learning it for the past 16 years of my life, but reading sheet music with a stave is my new project. Luckily, it is coming along so much easier than I had expected. It’s funny, reverting back to the basic fundamentals of music, (Elementary, dead Watson) of which I skipped out on completely. I’m learning with some help from a friend, but mostly from a “Keyboard for Beginners” book. Being able to make sense of what I already know is, weird to say it, invigorating. It reminds me of when I started learning Spanish. (Si yo puedo hablar espanol y ya aprendi en el carcel de Louisville) I remember the day the idea of conjugation sunk in. Eureka! It was like my brain peeled back a layer of ignorance and I literally became smarter. =)

I think we need to be continually learning something new. Everyone has something they want to do or achieve. Put your ass in gear and get moving! We’re not getting any younger. Knowledge is indispensable and it opens up doors. Think of where it can take you and who you’ll meet? Being in this place, and stript from most distractions, I look back and see how many opportunities I missed because of my ignorance. I hope you all take advantage of your situations and begin a journey of learning something new